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In the past, I’ve talked about time limits for helping ghosts during routine investigations.
Of course, someone has to help spirits if they’re ready to be helped.
I don’t mean to discourage anyone from helping… if they can.
Here’s the problem: Many ghosts seem to be lingering for reasons that aren’t especially healthy. They want to turn back the clock and relive their lives. They want sympathy, or at least attention for their own poor decisions.
Giving them attention only compounds the problem. I don’t think it helps them.
I’ve related this to working with a toddler. If all the child wants is attention, you have to be smart about it. You’ll reward good behavior and gently guide the child towards healthier choices.
However, the first step is to understand what’s going on with the spirit. Rapport must be established, but — unless you’ve trained to safely interact with spirits — it may be safer to set time limits. That’s especially true if the rest of your team is there to investigate and collect data.
Time limits as protection
In my opinion, it’s good to set the time limit ahead of time. Then, everyone knows what to expect and when to say, “That’s enough.”
Later, the psychic/medium may not be the best person to draw the line. He or she may need to be reminded that you’d already said you’d stop after 10 or 20 minutes, or whatever the time limit was.
Remember, entities aren’t always what they seem. A malicious entity can put you at risk if — in pursuit of rapport — you drop your guard and allow that entity access to your thoughts.
I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but this must be said: What may seem like rapport to you, may actually be an attempt to gain control over your mind, your body, or your soul.
That’s why psychics/mediums should never be left alone, and may need assistance from the team.
You’re probably not the first person to try to help the spirit. Some sites — such as Edinburgh’s vaults or the Myrtles Plantation — have been visited by tens of thousands of people. Some of them tried to help the ghosts.
If the spirits could be helped at those kinds of sites, surely someone else would have succeeded by now.
Everyone wants to feel unique and gifted. You might like to say, “I succeeded where thousands couldn’t.”
That’s bordering on pride, and it’s one of those “deadly sins” that can lure you into dangerous territory, spiritually and psychically.
Could you be the one to help that spirit? Maybe. I suppose it’s worth a try.
Keep your guard up, especially at sites with a reputation for being dangerous.
If you can’t, be sure your team knows when to come to your rescue, and acts quickly.
From the start, know your talents and set clear goals
I’m not sure that anyone can help a spirit that’s determined to remain at a site. That’s something ghost hunters have debated for over a century.
We can agree that every paranormal investigator has unique talents.
Identify yours. Put them to good use for the benefit of this field, and set clear goals in those areas.
If your goal is to help spirits find comfort and cross over, focus on that. Don’t dilute your efforts by trying to be the EVP expert, and the EMF genius, and the person who pre-screens sites and… Well, you get the idea.
Remember that being good at something doesn’t mean it’s your calling.
I’m a good psychic. So are a lot of people. (I’m also a fast typist and I bake amazing chocolate chip cookies.)
However, what I do uniquely is: I find unreported and under-reported haunted sites, and I explore innovative research techniques.
Those are my most unusual gifts. That’s where my attention is, now.
Know where you shine, and focus on that. If you’re called to help ghosts, one-on-one, that’s wonderful.
However, if it’s not, don’t feel guilty. Each of us has something to contribute to this field. Discover what it is, and share it with the paranormal community.